1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns a miniature shielded connector, with elbow contact shafts electrically insulated opposite the shielding.
The invention also pertains to the manufacturing process for the above connector.
This type of connector has barbs projecting from one of its surfaces, designed to be attached, for example, by soldering to a printed circuit. On one surface situated at a right angle relative to the above surface, shielding sockets project and coaxially surround female contact tips connected to the elbow contact shafts.
Such connectors should be as small as possible, their elbow contact shafts thus being very close to one another, while being perfectly insulated electrically and efficaciously shielded.
2. Prior Art
The documents below illustrate the prior art relating to connectors of the above-mentioned type:
EP-A-0 448,482 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,343 PA1 EP-A-0 446,980 PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,9 14,062 PA1 FR-A-2,552,939 PA1 FR-A-2,262,473 PA1 EP-A-0 547,979 PA1 EP-A-0 613,215 PA1 FR-A-2,702,095 PA1 DE-B-4,438,872 PA1 contact shafts are made by cutting these shafts in a sheet metal, this cutting leaving in place connection cross-pieces between the shafts close to the ends of the latter, PA1 an insulating material is molded around the contact shafts, PA1 the connection cross-piece situated close to one of the ends of the contact shafts is cut, PA1 the assembly thus obtained is positioned in the channels of one of the shielding blocks, PA1 the other shielding block is placed above the shielding block having the above assembly, so that its channels cover the insulating material of the contact shafts., PA1 the shielding sockets are placed in the conduits of one of the blocks and, PA1 the other joining cross-piece is cut.
Except for DE-B-4,438,872, all of the above documents describe connectors in which a perfect shielding continuity is produced between the contact shafts.
In the case of DE-B-4,438,872, the shielding is not continuous between the contact shafts. However, there are empty spaces between the shafts that increase the size of the connector.
Moreover, the connectors illustrated by the prior art given above are all-in-all relatively costly to manufacture.
The objective of the present invention is to remedy the disadvantages of known connectors, by creating a connector of reduced size, of inexpensive manufacture, and in which the contact shafts are perfectly insulated and shielded from one another.
The invention thus pertains to a connector comprising a series of spaced and 90.degree.-bent metal contact shafts, embedded in an electrically insulating material which is itself surrounded by a metal shielding.